Ever since Nick Saban retired a few years ago it is Kirby Smart who has held the claim to being the best coach in college football. That really shouldn't be up for debate, but unfortuantely there are quite a few people who disagree and believe there are other coaches out there who are better.
Joel Klatt just so happens to be one of those people who disagree as he ranked Smart as the No. 3 head coach in all of college football. That normally would be a great honor, but the two coaches above him makes no sense.
Thoughts on @joelklatt's Top 10 head coaches in college football? pic.twitter.com/FYULiDqCvM
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) February 23, 2026
Joel Klatt's Kirby Smart ranking makes no sense
Ahead of Smart on Klatt's rankings are Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. No one can deny how great of coaches they both are, but do they deserve to be above Smart? Not at all.
Cignetti is coming off one of the best seasons from a head coach in the history of college football. Indiana's 16-0 National Championship season was nothing short of spectactular and absolutely earns him the right to be on this list. But he has to find success more than one time before he can be above Smart.
Day has been having great seasons for much longer than Cignetti has, but he has only won one National Championship. He also is 1-4 agianst Michigan in their last five meetings and hasn't won the Big Ten since 2020.
Smart on the other hand has won two straight SEC titles (four total) and two national titles.
So how are Cignetti and Day ahead of Smart? Who knows, but anyone looking at all the facts would know that Smart is the best coach in all of college football. And the best part of all is that he has a great chance to win even more championships with Georgia again this year.